George Donner - Children

Children

The children of George Donner's first marriage stayed behind in Illinois, but the children of his second and third marriages accompanied him to California. All five of them survived. The children of his second marriage were Elitha and Leanna; of his third marriage were born Frances, Georgia, and Eliza.

• Elitha Cumi Donner (1831-1923) married Perry McCoon a few months after her rescue at age 15. After his death she married Benjamin Wilder, with whom she had seven children. She lived most of her life on a ranch near Elk Grove, California, where she died in 1923.
• Leanna Charity Donner (c1840-1930) lived with Elitha until her own marriage to John App in 1852. They had three children. Leanna lived out her life in Jamestown, California. She died there in 1930.
• Frances Eustis Donner (c1840-1921) made her home with the James F. Reed family in San Jose, California, for several years, then went to live with her older half-sister, Elitha. She married Elitha's brother-in-law, William Wilder. They had seven children. The Wilders lived in Byron, California. Frances died at her home there in 1921.
• Georgia Ann Donner and Eliza Poor Donner were taken in by Christian and Maria Brunner (or Bruner) at Sutter's Fort, then moved with them to Sonoma, California in late 1847. Eliza described their years with the Brunners in her book The Expedition of the Donner Party (Chicago: McClurg, 1911). They went to live with Elitha and Benjamin Wilder in 1854.
• Georgia Donner (c1840-1911) married Washington Babcock in 1863. They lived at Mountain View, California then moved to Washington State. Georgia died in 1911.

• Eliza Donner (c1840-1922) married Sherman O. Houghton in 1861. They had seven children and lived in San Jose, California, except for four years where they lived in Washington, D.C., while Sherman served in Congress. They moved to Long Beach, California around 1885. Eliza died in 1922.